United States Drug Enforcement Administration

TALLAHASSEE, FLA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announces the last of four co-defendants was sentenced today in a large-scale conspiracy that distributed over 1000 kilograms of marijuana in Tallahassee. Tyquan Watson, 28, of Tallahassee, Fla., received 10 years in prison. His half-brother, Cleveland Blackshear, 26, of Tallahassee also received 10 years in prison. Dezaneil Cosby, 28, of Tallahassee received 5 years in prison. Shambresha Turner, 26, of Tallahassee received time-served and supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the substantial efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate, arrest, and help bring these drug traffickers to justice. These offenses are not victimless crimes; the victims are the members of our community who experience the addiction and violence that too often follows from drug traffickers flooding our streets with this poison. My office will continue to aggressively pursue these cases to keep our communities healthy and safe.”

Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that Watson was purchasing hundred-pound quantities of marijuana per week from farms and brokers in California and reselling the marijuana in Tallahassee and surrounding areas. Evidence demonstrated that Watson had purchased at least 3169 pounds of marijuana between September 24, 2023, and January 10, 2024, with proceeds of at least $2.4 million during that period.

“With dispensaries and smoke shops becoming more commonplace, people may falsely assume that marijuana is no big deal,” said Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration’s Miami Field Division. “I assure you, DEA considers it a big deal. It’s stronger than ever and can pose a serious health risk, especially to children. We will continue to pursue marijuana peddlers with the same verve as any other illicit substance.”

A long-term investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). On August 16, 2022, Shambresha Turner was stopped at the Panama City airport with 40 pounds of marijuana in her suitcases. Turner told officers that she was being paid to transport the suitcases. On October 13, 2022, FDLE conducted a controlled purchase of 28 pounds of marijuana from Cleveland Blackshear. During the surveillance, FDLE agents observed Blackshear obtaining the marijuana from Cosby’s residence immediately prior to the controlled purchase. Both Blackshear and Watson’s fingerprints were identified on packaging material associated with the purchased marijuana. Surveillance of Cosby’s residence between October 12, 2022, and October 28, 2022, revealed multiple people dropping off and picking up suitcases (at least 32 suitcases and 16 garbage bags). On October 28, 2022, DEA executed a federal search warrant at Cosby’s residence and seized 238 pounds of marijuana and a firearm. Watson and Cosby were arrested together on federal arrest warrants on March 11, 2024, at another residence in Tallahassee. During that arrest, law enforcement seized another 183 pounds of marijuana and a firearm.

“This investigation sends a clear message: if you bring drug trafficking and violence into our communities, we’re coming for you,” said FDLE Tallahassee Special Agent in Charge Keith Wilmer. “Our special agents, working side-by-side with the DEA, spent countless hours on covert operations to take down this criminal network. I’m proud of their relentless work to protect Florida’s capital city and hold these offenders accountable.”

Watson and Cosby were convicted at a jury trial on February 14, 2025. Blackshear and Turner had previously pled guilty. As part of his sentence, Watson was also ordered to forfeit $2,424,217 in drug proceeds.

“This case is a clear example of how drug trafficking, even with substances like marijuana, is often linked to greater dangers in our community, including illegal firearms and violent crime,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “We remain committed to working alongside our federal and state partners to disrupt these criminal networks and protect the safety of our neighborhoods.”

These sentences were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).